GB victorious!
OK – that headline may be mildly misleading, but it is technically accurate.
After a final 1000x detail yesterday that caused an onslaught of distressed memes by the adjutant onto social media, the team awoke to a day of blue skies, apparently calmer wind (from the front for a change!), and a team match in the morning. 
The overseas clubs match would be a perfect way for the team to remind themselves of team shooting technique and also for Parag, David and Nigel to warm up for their Ballinger Belt final.
The team split into 4 separate target teams (5 shooters each – details on the results page) for a 2 & 7 course of fire at 300x, 500x and 600x. A calm(ish – one still had to pay attention) 300x detail was followed by a stronger, but fickle fishtail at 500x and a very interesting 600x wind detail. Three of our teams dropped between 13 and 16 points overall, while Holsworthy and Lyndhurst from Australia and the top South African team dropped 8 each. Our Surrey RA Gold team (Matt Charlton coaching Parag, Sandy, Toby, Nigel and Jon) dropped two points at 300 and none at 500 to be level with three teams but third on V-bulls. At 600 they got off to a slow start, as each of Parag’s inner sighters was followed by a wind change, and Holsworthy looked to be leaking a point or two. So Sandy fired a sighter out of turn, and after a lengthy wait fired another to confirm the value of what looked lile an attractive patch of weather. It was a five and was swiftly followed by all seven of Parag’s counting shots and a few of Sandy’s before an inner was recorded. The range continued in staccato style, with long, patient waits interrupted by quick bursts of a few shots. And by the end, the team was victorious with a score of 519/525, albeit with fewer V-bulls than rival teams. An excellent performance, finally getting GB on the board with a win.
The afternoon was more relaxed than we have previously had, with some buses staying on the range and others leaving for a more leisurely lunch. We reconvened at the range for 2pm ready to cheer on Parag, Nigel and David in the final.
The final was a 2&15 at 900x (possibly to facilitate spectating, but also probably because 1000x is too hard even for the best shooters in the world at this range!) where the score is added to previous scores in the Belt series. A typical windy and rapidly changing detail left the 20 finalists with a lot to think about. Most scored at least one outer, with several recording a few, and there was only one score anove 69 – Nate Guernsey’s quickfire 74. All three British finalists performed well and moved up the standings, with Nigel scoring a 67.5, and Parag and David scoring a 69.4 and a 69.5 respectively. Parag ended up finishing 4th with that score (had he converted his 5/4 sighters, though, he would have been 3rd). Well done to the finalists, and to Jim Bailey of Australia who converted his pole position going into the final to win, scoring 69.5 (with an outer) and 562.67 for the series to win by 5 clear points from 2nd placed John Snowden (NZ).
Late afternoon was prize giving, so the team put on their number 1s and once again attended Trentham race course for the presentation, at which Old Guildfordian and Surrey teams picked up several concurrent team match prizes and Nigel won a few 2nd placed veteran badges.
Afterwards the whole team went to Butcher and Brewer in Petone for a team meal before a few hardy souls went out before our last remaining day off and others retired early with alarms set to allow for Six Nations watching in the early hours.
